Ridgell's Originals

 There is only one God.  He is jealous.  He does not want a place in our hearts.  He does even want the place in our hearts.  He wants our heart.  We Christians get it.  But we also get that we are not perfect.  Sometimes we lose focus.  Sometimes we even put other gods before our God.

And we do not even realize it.  Maybe that is why it is so easy to follow the wrong gods.  They seem very "godly".  

So here are a few idols we Chrisitans need to be careful about following.

Church.  It is really easy to confuse God and church.  We are church.  Those of us who belong to Jesus are part of God's church/family/community.  But it sure is easy to get caught up in Church.  Budgets, buildings, programs.  Place membership.  I know why we want people to identify themselves, but you will not find this in the Bible.  Budgets.  So we have a professional staff.  And a building.  So good deeds will be done in the name of the Church.  Feed the hungry.  Give weekly so the Church can have a program for the hungry.  But what if that makes it easy for us to not feed the hungry personally?  After all, I give for those programs so get me the benovolence deacon.  I never even have to interact with the hungry.  And the service gets done in the name of the Church.  It should be done in the name of Jesus.  Come to church.  Parents will even get a youth program at growing churches that will raise their kids for them.  Oops.  I mean help them raise their kids.  You get the point.

Preachers.  This temptation comes in two ways.  We preachers sometimes get confused ourselves.  We tend to equate whatever we say with the Word of God.  Not the same.  And members often elevate their preacher to being some kind of god.  So preachers run the church.  While denying that they run the church. But we often expect them to and want them to.  It is dangerous.  Just ask Paul and Barnabus.  There was a city that tried to make them into gods.

The Bible.  The Bible is the word of God not God.  There is a difference.  The Bible is true.  Jesus is the truth.  I believe in the Bible.  I think it is true and does not contradict itself.  Nor does it conflict with God.  But it does not love us.  It will not save us.  It will teach us and correct us. It will point us to God and Jesus.  But it is not God.  

Church.  Preachers.  The Bible.  All good things.  All things I love.  I am two of these.  But none of these will save me.  They can't.  Following God will bring you close to all of these.  You can even love every one of them.  But don't worship them.  And do not put them above God.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM